We have a brand new install of SQL Server 2005 on a Windows 2008 Server. When using the SQL Server Management Studio (2005 or 2008) from my Windows XP Professional workstation, if I right click on the SQL Server Agent, I get the context menu but the Start and Stop options are not enabled(grayed out). I am using Windows authentication, I am a member of the SysAdmin and Public SQL Server roles. Also, when right clicking on Maintenance Plans and selecting New Maintenance Plan, nothing happens. I was able to create a maintenance plan with the wizard but now am unable to execute it because SQL Server Agent isn't running? From what I was told by an admin who had access to the server, he was able to login to the box using the domain administrator account and start the SQL Server Agent service from the services applet or from the local instance of SQL Server 2005 Management Studio. Even after he started the service, it still didn't appear to be running from my workstation view through the management studio.

What do I need to change to allow me to administer the agent and maintenance plans from my workstation?

2 Answers
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It's also a Windows service and to start and stop it you need permission to do so on the service itself. Since it sounds like you aren't an administrator, you should hopefully just be able to tell your administrator that and they can grant you access. There is a section in Group Policy that lets an administrator control the services, and it also lets you grant permissions to control those services. It's commonly overlooked actually.